Re: Not always joking, it seems

In rec.arts.sf.fandom Seth <sethb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> In article <klcpr3lkgg1rsmepq7gequ58n31pjr8vn3@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> John Schilling  <schillin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 
>>So if it's Not Shooting The Good Guys you're after, the problem is
already
>>mostly solved.  If you want to do still better, you should be in favor
of
>>ordinary private citizens being the ones with the guns whenever
possible,
>>on account of they get that sort of thing right more often than anyone
>>else[2].
> 
>>[2] Mostly on account of, "I'm not sure what's going on here, so maybe
I'd
>>best run and hide" is a legitimate option for them.
> 
> And the rest on account of civilians who shoot tend to do better than
> police (measured by target hit rate).
> 
> Of course, that could also be due in part to [2].

Even discounting "run and hide" as an option, police tend to face
situations that are much more ambiguous. Legitimate use of force by a
civilian pretty much requires that the situation be forced on them by
someone else. When one is in the process of being attacked it's much
easier to pick out the attacker. Police don't even have that advantage.

	Robert
-- 
Robert K. Shull                           Email: rkshull at rosettacon dot
com